“What happens to it all? All the sounds released into the world never captured?” – ‘Quote from The History Of Sound
Category Archives: Movie Review
“The Red Envelope” Movie Review
“I want someone to share my life with, take care of each other, and grow old together…. I may never be able to fulfill this last wish.” – Quote from Marry My Dead Body
“Aichaku” Movie Review
The title of this movie is aptly named. Aichaku literally means in Japanese ‘attachment’. But an attachment to an object that is more like a feeling of affinity- what the object means. It takes on an emotional attachment. And this movie is certainly that. It is a movie filled with a lot of emotional bonds.
“If Memory Has Sound/The Sound of Nostalgia” Movie Review
Wow! This is an astonishing and brilliant film that will leave you breathless and undoubtedly lachrymose. Without doubt, this is also a short film (about 30 minutes), perhaps like no other you have ever seen before. I am not sure how to describe it. To be sure, it is open to all sorts of impressions. Mine of course would be no more correct than anyone else and therefore it would be unfair to superimpose my conclusions on how I saw this rich cinematic tapestry. However, you will get a hint by the words I use throughout this article as to how I saw this apotheosis. Undeniably, this story has been crafted to be open to interpretation.
Continue reading “If Memory Has Sound/The Sound of Nostalgia” Movie Review
“Taps” Movie Review
While you watch this breathtakingly evocative short film, it will be easy to see yourself in it. Those of us who struggle with the everyday maintenance of a relationship, perhaps more so with an individual of the same gender, understand that facing a slice-of-life right-of-passage we know is coming, but we do not want to face it, this elegy is even more prodigious. Particularly difficult for us, as we have no anchor, no cornerstone, to keep the relationship together except the allegiance to one another. That is especially true for the two protagonists in this story. Rohan (Ullas Samrat) is leaving for a yearlong sabbatical, which means leaving his beloved Akshay (Rohit Mehra) alone in India.
“The Paradise of Thorns” Movie Review
The greed, the death, the unforgiving law, the cruelty of survival, the penitence of sin, and the ultimate price to pay—the aftermath… that is called “The Paradise of Thorns”.
“Love in the Big City” Movie Review
“A man and a woman can be friends; they don’t necessarily have to be queer for that”
“A Balloon’s Landing” Movie Review
This is a particularly intricate and well-acted movie. Its cinematography is exceptional. Sometimes, using muted and pastel tones to reflect the mood of the scenes. The screenplay is also sophisticated, which allowed the actors to become immersed in their roles to the point that the audience could relate and feel what they were experiencing. Since so much of it was subtle, that took real acting challenges to pull off. The first half of the movie is intensely character driven while the second half, unfortunately, becomes an esoteric mess.
“The Blue Hour” Movie Review
This is a serendipitous find and what a find it is. Sometimes one needs to go back in order to proceed forward. Admittedly, this is a movie that goes way back and by today’s standards in the BL world might be considered ‘old’ and maybe thought of as remote. Its reviews were less than stellar, which is incredulous, and I think based on a misunderstanding of what this movie was all about. I hesitate to reference it as a BL, however. More aptly, it certainly is a gay film. A gay film highlighted by elucidations from the inner thoughts of a mind of a tortured young gay boy, struggling with his ‘coming out.’ If you see it as that, it will have more meaning.
“AM I OK?” Movie Review
“Am I OK?” is a late “coming of age” story about friendship and self-discovery and tackles the agonies of coming to terms with yourself at a later age. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a 32-year-old woman who has an unfulfilling work and personal life, and relies on her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) who provides some structure in her life, despite her being controlling. “Am I Ok?” tackles the reality of a lot of gay people, who only come to terms with their sexuality once they are older, and it seems like they cannot do much about it because they have run out of time. Despite being 32, Lucy had never fully considered that she was in fact gay and was dejected and at peace with having mediocre relationships with men despite not fully enjoying the experience.
The BL Xpress 